Simple Mistake
by Genius of Hardwork
Summary: Lee expresses his final thoughts before slipping into darkness.


**Yes, I am a huge Lee fan, that's why I wrote a sad fanfic of him~ I'm a sadistic bitch to all my fave characters, don't worry ^^_  
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_Simple Mistake_

It was a simple mistake.

Ga-sensei had trained me better than this, how did I not see it coming?

It seems my mistake was being too immersed in the fight between those two other rogue ninja's, it was the fatal flaw that I didn't pay enough attention to the rest of my environment.

The kunai came faster than I thought, with lightning speed and barbed edges that were aching to lodge themselves into my throat. The sharp piece of metal was stuck into my throat too deeply for me to slide out.

The ground felt much harder than the hundreds of other times I landed on it before; like when Neji would constantly nock me on my back during our hundreds of sparring matches, or when sensei would land a powerful punch to my cheek that would make me spit out blood for an hour.

When I fell, the accustomed voices I heard every day during training yelled out my name. I saw them running towards me, Gai-sensei in front of my teammates. I tried to lift up my hand to reach him, but for some reason, I couldn't move.

"Lee, can you hear me?" I heard him shout when he finally reached my side.

_Yes Gai-sensei, I can hear you. _I tried to speak, but the sound of my voice could no longer come out of my damaged throat, the only response I could think of using was blinking.

Sensei said something to Neji and Tenten, but I couldn't understand him. Actually, I could barely even see him anymore, my vision was blurring rapidly…I tried to regain power over my body, but I felt myself blacking out.

Was I…dying?

Would the second I give into the darkness be my last moments as a ninja? As Gai-sense's beloved student? As a being of this world?

Again I tried to move, but it was the same result as my previous attempts.

I felt Gai-sensei lift my head up, cupping the back of my head with his calloused palm as he repeatedly called out my name.

I couldn't hear him anymore, but I could read his lips.

I noticed Tenten and Neji beside our sensei, watching me as if they had gone to see a horror movie.

Neji was staring at me with pain ridden eyes; I wonder why…did I really look that bad? He activated his Byakugan and began to survey my body. Or at least, I think he was. From the little I could see now, it sure looked like it. Damn, I wish the blood didn't splatter to my face, I felt a faint burning in my eyes on account of the red liquid slipping into them. When he finished, it looked like he was about to fall over in disbelief. Neji's eyes shut closed, and he said something to Gai-sensei and Tenten.

Tenten began to cry.

Why are you crying, Tenten? Is it because the rogue ninjas we were just fighting got away? I'm sorry for making you upset, I'll run an additional 500 laps around Konoha, just for you.

Gai-sensei began to shake me lightly, but Neji simply placed a hand on his shoulder. I'm guessing he was telling him to stop? I wish I could read lips better. Sensei didn't seem to pay any mind to him, his eyes were looking frantic, not wanting to believe whatever it was Neji had said earlier.

I felt warm droplets beginning to fall on my face, descending down my teachers cheeks and landing gently against my face, continuing their journey down my face until they eventually resided in the dirt of the ground. I've seen Gai-sensei cry before, but never with a painful expression like this.

I didn't believe the possibility that I was going to die. Actually, I _couldn't._ The pain that coursed through my body was unbearable, to say the least, but giving up would prove that I had also given up on the truth Gai-sensei tried to inscribe into my brain and heart these last few years. If these really were my last moment alive, then I would spend them believing in everything he had told me. That I could defeat a genius with hard work, that I was no longer a loser, that I had friends who cared for me…

I glanced at Neji once again, but I could no longer see his face. It seemed like his back was turned to me, his fist clenched tightly as his shoulder shook. I noticed something beginning to drip down from his face and onto the ground. Was he…_crying_? I couldn't tell, Gai-sensei was still rattling me.

Suddenly, I was no longer lying down. Gai-sensei rested me against his chest, stroking my hair and crying on my shoulder while he began to speak rubbish that I couldn't understand. Sensei, you'd better let me go, I'm getting blood all over your clothes! I wouldn't want to ruin such a perfect outfit.

When I felt my shoulder become wet with tears, a sudden drowsiness began to overcome me. I didn't like it, but I couldn't seem to do anything to prevent it. I felt so weak, as if all of my energy was being sucked out of my very body, trying to stop me from thinking anymore and to just accept my awaited slumber.

I wanted to hug Gai-sensei back; he looked like his heart had just been torn to shreds. Unfortunately, Gravity was being a cold lady; she refrained from allowing me to embrace my teacher. This was all too painful, seeing my team so broken like this…Tenten was now on her knees, hiding her face in the sleeves of her shirt while Neji walked to a nearby tree, punching it several times until his knuckles began to bleed. When he stopped, he leaned against the damaged piece of wood, and cried…

Sleep was dragging me deeper and deeper, and slowly, I began to close my eyes. Hopefully when I wake up, I'll be able to ask everyone why they seemed so sad.

Was the reason for their sadness the fact that I was inevitably going to die? No. I couldn't think like that. I'm a stronger ninja then this, I will survive. Years of training prepared me for something worse than this, and thinking negatively would only result in my downfall. Even if I do lose my voice, it wouldn't matter, I always believed Gai-sensei when he told me that actions spoke louder than words; I just had to be confident.

Soon enough, everything had turned pitch black…but by some strange miracle I could somehow hear again. However, the only sound that my ears would allow me to listen to was the crying of my beloved sensei, chanting my name and sounding like a broken record.

_Don't cry, Gai-sensei…I'll wake up soon._


End file.
